Recessed lighting fixtures are well known in the art. Ideally, such fixtures are designed to be visually unobtrusive in that very little of the lighting fixture is visible from below the ceiling. However, some trim portions are visible as well as the light sources. An opening is cut into the ceiling into which most of the lighting fixture is mounted so that very little extends below the plane of the ceiling. The recessed light fixture is typically contained in a metal housing, can, pan, or enclosure mounted above the ceiling plane. A trim piece or trim ring, which may take the form of a bezel, is generally located at the opening to enhance the appearance of the light fixture and conceal the hole cut into the ceiling. Typically, the trim piece is slightly below the planar surface of the ceiling.
Such bezels or other types of trim pieces often include insulation or a gasket located between the trim piece and the ceiling. In many cases, recessed lighting fixtures are installed in holes in ceilings where the temperature is much different from that of the room into which the light fixture provides illumination. The insulation tends to block the thermal gradient that changes the room temperature due to the hole cut in the ceiling for the lighting fixture.
Although described in a ceiling embodiment, such lighting fixtures are also used in walls in both dwelling structures and even in automobiles, in numerous commercial office buildings and big box retailers, and in many other applications like an RV, custom homes, etc. Such lighting fixtures are generally referred to herein as “recessed.”